Women diagnosed with ADHD as adults are continuing to experience systemic barriers to accessing health services and support, a University of Queensland study has found.
The study, led by Dr Kate Witteveen from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work , explored the experiences of 30 women aged between 22-72 years, who were interviewed as part of a large-scale study.
"Many women reported they experienced scepticism and resistance when raising the possibility of ADHD with their health care providers and difficulty accessing specialists," Dr Witteveen said.
"Even with a referral it was still a difficult process for many women - some reported their referrals were not accepted at first, and many faced long waiting times and high financial costs."
Co-author Dr Denis O'Hara said more women were being diagnosed with ADHD across the globe, with rates almost doubling for women aged 23-49 between 2020 and 2022.
"Despite this increase in diagnostic rates, women remain more likely than men to be diagnosed later in life," Dr O'Hara said.
"We found ADHD impacts all domains of a woman's life, and while receiving a diagnosis is a relief for many, it isn't a solution to the challenges of living with ADHD.
"Women faced negative interactions with health and education systems, stereotyping, difficulties with relationships, and impacts on self-esteem and physical health."
Dr Witteveen said while more research is needed to better understand the full extent of ADHD's impact on women, the first step is clarifying misconceptions.
"Much of what is believed about ADHD is based on stereotypes and outdated information," Dr Witteveen said.
"For example, emotion dysregulation and rejection sensitivity are central components of the ADHD experience, but these aren't captured in current diagnostic criteria.
"The current diagnostic data was developed around boys, so even the criteria to receive a diagnosis as a female does not adequately reflect the breadth of experience for people with ADHD."
Dr Witteveen said it was encouraging to see governments implementing changes, such as allowing some Queensland GPs to diagnose ADHD in adults, which came into effect in December 2025.
"Increasing accessibility and affordability for diagnosis is an important first step. There is also a need for a variety of psychosocial supports women with ADHD, particularly post-diagnosis," she said.
Being dismissed
Dr O'Hara said many women reported they needed to advocate strongly for themselves to get an ADHD diagnosis and were often dismissed.
"Some were told they couldn't possibly have ADHD because they were 'too successful' or 'too educated'," Dr O'Hara said.
"One woman reported being refused an assessment because she was 'too old'.
"There was a sense that because these women were fully functioning adults, they couldn't possibly have ADHD."
Dr Witteveen said this scepticism is unfortunate, as the decision to seek a diagnosis can be quite a conflicted one.
"Many participants reported being negatively impacted by comments such as: 'Everyone is a bit ADHD these days'," Dr Witteveen said.
"Comments that suggest recent increases in the number of people getting an ADHD diagnosis reflect a 'trend' can be damaging to those who have the diagnosis, and those who are interested in exploring the possibility of a diagnosis for themselves.
"The idea that people are 'jumping on a bandwagon' and getting a diagnosis is harmful and trivialises the experiences of people living with ADHD."
Physical health impacts
The study found women's physical health had also been heavily impacted by ADHD.
These included obesity and digestive issues, chronic fatigue, pain, hormonal issues, exhaustion, depression and anxiety, and using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.
"There were so many times the word 'exhaustion' came up when women described what ADHD feels like," Dr Witteveen said.
"Others also spoke about the additional energy demands ADHD causes by making simple tasks more difficult."
Sense of self
Dr O'Hara said the experience of receiving an ADHD diagnosis tended to have a significant impact on participants' sense of self.
For some it provided clarity and helped explain challenges they had experienced throughout their life.
Others found it confusing and struggled to separate their sense of self from the condition.
"Many thought their traits or behaviours were just part of their personality, so it was confronting to learn they were characteristics of ADHD," Dr O'Hara said.
ADHD and trauma
The study did not intend to explore the link between trauma and ADHD, but Dr Witteveen said it came up frequently.
"The relationship between ADHD and trauma is multifaceted and it was interesting this showed up in many different ways in the study, even though we didn't ask a specific question about it," Dr Witteveen said.
"We didn't examine whether trauma caused ADHD or vice versa, but the study highlighted how they seem to intersect with each other.
"Participants believed their ADHD tendencies, such as impulsivity, contributed to their vulnerability to traumatic events by placing them in risky situations.
"We also found that, for some, living with undiagnosed ADHD felt like a traumatic experience. It is clear that the interaction between ADHD and trauma needs further investigation."
Impact on relationships
Many women reported they had experienced challenges in interpersonal relationships.
"These challenges included difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships and the participants put this down to issues with memory, social awkwardness, rejection sensitivity, impulsivity and poor self-esteem," Dr O'Hara said.
"Many women reported being forgetful about key events, such as friends' birthdays, and the phenomena of 'out of sight, out of mind' was mentioned."
Some participants reported an improvement in their relationships after an ADHD diagnosis.
How can we help
Dr Witteveen said it is important for people to be open to learning about the realities of having ADHD, rather than working from assumptions.
"It was striking how simple adjustments in the workplace could have a significant impact on the productivity and the wellbeing of people with ADHD," Dr Witteveen said.
"For example, participants shared the experience of 'ADHD freeze', where the fear of missing a meeting later in the day prevented them from focusing on tasks beforehand.
"Something simple like, where possible, scheduling meetings early in the day can overcome this challenge and ensure people with ADHD can remain productive throughout the day."
Dr Witteveen said it was encouraging to see governments implementing changes, such as allowing some Queensland GPs to diagnose ADHD in adults, which came into effect in December 2025.
While the study found the social, emotional, and economic burdens associated with missed, late and misdiagnosed ADHD in women were significant, Dr Witteveen said more research was needed to examine these issues in more detail.
The research is published in International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling.
